


willing to fall into forever (if it feels right)

by starlux



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Demon!Kylo, F/M, Fluff, Halloween Costumes, Light Angst, Momentary boarding of the Ben Solo Pain Train, Multi POV, Non-Linear Narrative, Reylo Prompts 1k Challenge, Tea solves all problems, Witch!Rey, finnrose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2020-11-24 14:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20909186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlux/pseuds/starlux
Summary: “I want to speak to Kylo Ren,” she says loudly and clearly while holding the ancient spellbook Maz had given to her.The circle lights up with an eerie glow and one bright flash later, Kylo Ren appears before her eyes. Rey is surprised at how little he looks like an actual demon, there’s no horns and he’s distinctly lacking the scaly skin she has come to associate with his type. In fact, he looks more human than anything, tall, dark and handsome, which is very fortunate, considering what she’s going to ask of him.





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> From the reylo_prompts twitter : Curious Cat Prompt: "Newly awakened witch Rey summons powerful demon Kylo to offer him her virginity in exchange for finding her family. He offers her an engagement ring instead."
> 
> The Reylo Prompts account on twitter is doing a 1k word challenge, and I loved this prompt so I figured I'd give it a go. 
> 
> title - lyrics to: I Think I Like You by sirenXX

Living your whole life as a mortal to discover that you are not in fact a mortal is just as bizarre as it sounds. Maz had called her a late bloomer upon her awakening three months prior, “but powerful” the wizened old woman had said after her first proper magic lesson in the following days.  
  
Rey has spent the last three months deep within the magical underworld that has always been right under her nose. Her new friend Rose strongly believes that Rey has always been in touch with her mystical side, but her circumstances had kept a very strong veil over her eyes to truly seeing the world around her.  
  
“If you hadn’t ran into Kylo Ren the way you did, you may have never truly believed,” Rose had concluded over a dinner a week ago.  
  
“You think Kylo Ren caused my awakening?” Rey had asked.  
  
Her friend had nodded empathetically. “Kylo is one of the most powerful and notorious demons out there, he’s managed to do a lot in the name of Snoke. But you were able to stop him Rey, minutes after coming into your powers when you physically ran into him on the sidewalk when he was cloaked in magic to hide from human sight. You’re connected.”  
  
Which is how she ended up here, with a crudely drawn summoning circle on her living room floor surrounded by every crystal, herb and flower she could get her hands on to entrap a demon within.  
  
“I want to speak to Kylo Ren,” she says loudly and clearly while holding the ancient spellbook Maz had given to her.  
  
The circle lights up with an eerie glow and one bright flash later, Kylo Ren appears before her eyes. Rey is surprised at how little he looks like an actual demon, there’s no horns and he’s distinctly lacking the scaly skin she has come to associate with his type. In fact, he looks more human than anything, tall, dark and handsome, which is very fortunate, considering what she’s going to ask of him.  
  
Kylo turns slowly until he’s facing her, and goes to step out of the circle with a smirk before he realizes he can’t get a toe over the line.  
  
“Powerful,” he murmurs more to himself than to her.  
  
“You’re Kylo Ren?” Rey asks, surprised by the shock in her voice.  
  
“The one and only. And you’re Rey, the newest member of Maz’s coven of misfits and nobodies. Why am I here?”  
  
“You caused my awakening. How?”  
  
The demon actually laughs. “Straight forward I see, I like you Rey.”  
  
“Answer me Kylo, or I’ll send you back.”  
  
He rolls his eyes in such a petulant manner that Rey almost sends him back anyways. Too bad she has a need for him.  
  
“I assume it’s because despite yourself, you’re attracted to me. You saw past my spell because you had the ability to, and you’re awakening happened because your body reacted to mine.”  
  
“Is that so?”  
  
“Well, you’re not denying it little witch. Magical beings such as us are naturally attracted to one another, power entices power, magic entices magic. We’re one in the same.”  
  
“So you’re attracted to me?” she asks with a tilt of her head. This was going to be easier than she thought.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“And if I asked you a favor, would you do it?”  
  
“Favors from demons is serious business Rey, I’m sure Maz told you that.”  
  
“She mentioned it. Now will you at least hear me out?”  
  
The demon just nods and urges her to continue. Rey is fairly certain at this point that Kylo would be happy to help her in whatever way she requests, even without having to offer him what she’s about to.  
  
“I want to find my parents. One of them had to have magical abilities, and I’ve started to believe the reason we have never reconnected is because they, or someone else, magicked us this way. I want your help.”  
  
Kylo nods. “I’m sure Maz also told you that when courting favors from demons, there is usually a trade involved. Say I help you find your family, what do I get out of it?”  
  
“My virginity,” Rey knows her face is about 73 different shades of red right now, but it’s the only thing of value she really has to offer, even if she thinks the social construct of virginity is only meant to shame women for having natural desires.  
  
“Pardon?” Kylo asks, visibly taken aback. Clearly this was not what he was expecting from her.  
  
“I remain untouched. It’s uh, it’s really the only thing I have to give you. As you can see, I have very little in way of things,” she replies as she spreads her arms out and gestures to her sparse home.  
  
Kylo just stands in his circle, but Rey can see the way his mind is working something out.  
  
“So, do we have a deal?” she finds herself saying towards the floor instead of meeting his gaze.  
  
“How about I offer you a trade instead? I’ll help you find your family, if you do me the honor of wearing this?” he asks as he magics a ring out of thin air, a solitary oval cut stone on a band of yellow gold.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Become my wife Rey, and together we will find out what happened to your family.”  
  
“We hardly know each other. And you’re a demon.”  
  
“I wasn’t always. I think you could help me with that too.”  
  
Rey hesitates. “I have to think about it.”  
  
“You do that. I can wait,” he says as he plops himself down on her floor.  
  
“In private.”  
  
Kylo grins. “Alright little witch, I’ll be back in a weeks’ time. Give me your answer then.”  
  
“Thank you Kylo.”  
  
“Please Rey, call me Ben,” he says before he shimmers out of existence.  
  
She looks down at the oval ring that has found its way to her left hand and bites back a grin of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to come yell with me on both [twitter](https://twitter.com/_starlux/) and [tumblr](https://starlux-s.tumblr.com/)! I promise I'm friendly!


	2. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no arguing with the Dark Lord of Hell, so Kylo finds himself in the largest city of the Takodana quadrant shortly before dusk. Snoke – of course – is right; magic permeates the air as Kylo steps out of the crumbling brick façade of the building his portal dumped had him. Naturally the scent of magic is always stronger where covens exist – this might be Maz’s territory but Kylo also scents the sickly-sweet smell of fae magic. It’s enough to put him on edge.
> 
> Something else in the air makes his blood practically sing though; it’s strong, sweet, spicy and bright. It’s power croons like a sirens song. Kylo knows – just knows – that when he finds the source, he’ll have Snoke’s answer.
> 
> “Where is it?” he mumbles as he casts a shadow spell upon himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! So this was originally intended to be part of the the 1k word challenge from the [reylo_prompts](https://twitter.com/reylo_prompts/) twitter account, but this got a lot more feedback than expected?? 
> 
> Also it was super fun to write in the first place, so I figured more in this 'verse was needed. I did not expect to be doing a WIP right now, but here we are.
> 
> A few things: I hope to update on the regular. There's no projected chapter count right now, but once I know I'll update the info. Also, I've decided that I'm doing a non-linear narrative, there's going to be some jumping around the timeline here, so bear with me.
> 
> A very special thanks to my wonderful beta, weddersins (her [twitter ](https://twitter.com/weddersins/) and [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weddersins/pseuds/Weddersins) go give her a look!) for making my writing make sense and always being on the same brainwave as me!

It’s not every day that you get called upon by the actual fucking King of Hell himself, not even when you’re Kylo Ren - demon of renown in the magical underworld. Snoke – commonly known as the Devil – typically has one of his minions send Kylo to do his bidding.  
  
So Snoke seeking Kylo out in person was a pretty big fucking deal.  
  
“I have a job for you Kylo Ren. There has been increased magical activity in Takodana these past few weeks, and I’d like to know what’s causing it.”  
  
Kylo nods. “That’s Maz Kanata’s coven. The fae are there too.”  
  
The Devils eyes shine. “Exactly my boy. Do what you do best. Find my information, stick to the shadows, and don’t get caught.”

* * *

  
  
There is no arguing with the Dark Lord of Hell, so Kylo finds himself in the largest city of the Takodana quadrant shortly before dusk. Snoke – of course – is right; magic permeates the air as Kylo steps out of the crumbling brick façade of the building his portal dumped had him. Naturally the scent of magic is always stronger where covens exist – this might be Maz’s territory but Kylo also scents the sickly-sweet smell of fae magic. It’s enough to put him on edge.  
  
_Something_ else in the air makes his blood practically sing though; it’s strong, sweet, spicy and bright. It’s power croons like a sirens song. Kylo knows – _just knows_ – that when he finds the source, he’ll have Snoke’s answer.  
  
“Where is it?” he mumbles as he casts a shadow spell upon himself. Kylo sets off westward towards the last few rays of sunlight.  
  
There’s a chill in the air that would have bothered Kylo once, but the demon blood that now courses through his veins warms him to the core. He continues to traverse the streets of Takodana, mostly sticking to poorly lit alleyways and shadowy over passes. He follows the thread of magic that has been calling to him since he stepped foot on ground.   
  
Confusingly, it leads him to a laundromat.  
  
A seemingly mortal laundromat with only one patron – a girl maybe in her early twenties dancing around in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and t-shirt emblazoned with Mötley Crüe’s Shout at the Devil 1983 tour dates. H e lets out a breath of a laugh from his side of the front window, because there’s something serendipitous about this that even he – an actual fucking demon – can appreciate.  
  
There’s not a chance this girl heard him, the thread of magic led him here, but she doesn’t appear to be anything more than your run of the mill mortal. That is, until she pauses from her folding and surprises the absolute shit out of Kylo. She loops her headphones around her neck before she grabs her phone and inches closer to peer out the front window, directly in front of where he’s standing.  
  
“Who’s there?” the girl calls from inside the laundromat as she pulls her headphones off from over her ears.  
  
Kylo actually holds his fucking breath while the mortal stares directly at him. He dares not to move an inch even though, logically, there’s not a chance this girl has a clue he’s even there.  
  
Several long moments later she backs away, pulls her headphones up over her ears and goes back to folding her laundry.  
  
“That was close,” he says to no one but himself.  
  
He spends the next fifteen minutes more or less casing the place. Nothing about the building seems special, as far as he can tell it’s a very normal building in Takodana. Well, except for the fact that it absolutely reeks of magic and he was able to find it from miles away.  
  
“Goodnight Loan!” Kylo hears the girl call as he rounds the corner to the front of the building again.  
  
What happens next would have normally been incredibly embarrassing for someone of his power and notoriety if it wasn’t also the single most life changing moment in his life. Which is a lot, all things considered.   
  
The girl is busy thumbing away at her cellphone. Typically, Kylo’s magic would ward off unsuspecting mortals on the street, so they didn’t accidently knock into a demon, but _somehow_ this girl runs smack dab into Kylo’s chest. He’s not entirely sure which one of them is more surprised.  
  
“I’m so sorry,” the girl rambles as she starts picking up her dropped cellphone and bag of laundered clothing. “I honestly didn’t even see you there.”  
  
Kylo just nods, because that was exactly the point, she should have never seen him there.  
  
“It’s fine,” he grumbles, because he should have had a better grip on himself and his wards and _fuck_ Snoke is going to have his head over being seen by a mortal.  
  
The girl looks up and _everything_ changes. The world completely shifts on its axis right under Kylo’s feet, because _fucking hell_ this is the source, _she_ is the magical upheaval that’s causing chaos amongst the various realm. This _girl_ who is on the cusp of her witch’s awakening.  
  
Lines appear suddenly between her brow s and Kylo can hear her draw a deep, fearful breath. Even in her terror, he knows she’s the most beautiful women he’s ever seen, and irrationally, he wishes t hat he could do something to comfort her right now. Her hazel eyes grow big as she backs slowly away from him, and it hurts more than it should. Kylo knows her fear isn’t of him, but he can feel her panic roll off her in waves as her magic starts to course through her body.  
  
“I’m not here to harm you, little witch,” he finds himself saying.  
  
“What?” she whispers.  
  
“Don’t be afraid. I feel it too.”  
  
“What’s happening to me? Why did you call me a witch?”  
  
Kylo slinks further back into the shadows in an attempt to put the girl at ease.  
  
“You’re experiencing your awakening. You’ve been emanating magic for weeks. Other realms have taken notice.”  
  
“None of this makes sense.”  
  
“No, I suppose it wouldn’t.”  
  
“What are you? Who are you?”  
  
Kylo could lie, but she would find out about him soon enough.  
  
“My name is Kylo Ren. I’m a demon, sent here by Snoke.”  
  
“Snoke?”  
  
Kylo shrugs. “The devil.”  
  
“Ahh. Makes sense, you being a demon,” she laughs like she can’t truly believe what she’s hearing.  
  
“Yeah, me being a demon.”  
  
“You gonna kill me?”  
  
Kylo scoffs. “And waste all your magical potential? Nah.”  
  
“Then why are you here?”  
  
“Snoke wanted me to find the source. I have. I’m going to need to take you with me though.”  
  
Her eyebrows raise. “Excuse me?”  
  
“You’re potent little witch. Every magical being in the city will be here within the next five minutes trying to get their claws in you.”  
  
The girl draws her brows together and frowns.  
  
“I’m not going anywhere with you , Kylo Ren.”  
  
“It wasn’t a request.”  
  
Kylo stalks forward to the spot where the girl still cowers on the ground and gathers his magic in his hands. Before he can finish casting, he is abruptly thrown back several feet by a blinding white light. His head cracks against the asphalt and he rises with a groan, cradling his face in his palm. The girl is standing over him, looking completely feral while white light beams from her fingertips and she breathes heavily.  
  
“I’m staying here,” she growls out moments before her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses in a heap.  
  
“Rey?” an awfully familiar voice calls out from the front of the laundromat, and Kylo scrambles up from his spot on the ground.  
  
He does the only thing he can and summons a portal to get him the fuck out of here. He can hear the visitor gathering up Rey into her arms, and because he still has zero sense of self preservation, he turns back to look over the two women before he walks through his portal.  
  
Rose looks exactly the same, but of course she does, considering what she is.  
  
“Ben?” Rose calls sadly from her place on the ground.  
  
Kylo faulters just a moment before stepping across his portal and magicking it shut from the safety of hell.  
  
“Fuck,” he groans as he kicks a wall.  
  
All he can think of is a pair of hazel eyes and how everything is different now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on keeping the word count low for each update, between 1k and 1.5k on average, maybe 2k if we're pushing it. 
> 
> Feel free to come yell with me on both [twitter](https://twitter.com/_starlux/) and [tumblr](https://starlux-s.tumblr.com/)! I promise I'm friendly!


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey sighs. “I summoned Kylo Ren to my apartment yesterday to curry a favor. My virginity for his help in tracking down my parents. He countered with this.” 
> 
> She once again holds her left hand up to show off the overly large oval stone that is nestled on her finger. She knows she should take the damn thing off, but part of her is afraid she’s going to lose it while another, louder part of her just really likes how it looks on her hand .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously thank you all for the feedback and the love on twitter, I really appreciate it! 
> 
> Special shout out to weddersins ([twitter](https://twitter.com/weddersins/) and [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weddersins)) for being an amazing beta and sounding board and dear friend!

"I’m sorry. I’m not sure I heard you correctly,” Finn says from his spot on the couch next to Rose. The two share a concerned look before turning on Rey.  
  
“I think you heard me perfectly well Finn,” Rey replies primly . She has decided that she needs to confide in her two closest friends about her… _encounter_ with Kylo Ren. This might be a mistake.  
  
“No. No, no, no Rey. Finn and I here most definitely didn’t hear you correctly. I’m going to need you to repeat yourself. Because I’m pretty sure you said you got engaged to a _fucking __ demon?”_  
  
Rey sighs. “I summoned Kylo Ren to my apartment yesterday to curry a favor. My virginity for his help in tracking down my parents. He countered with this.”  
  
She once again holds her left hand up to show off the overly large oval stone that is nestled on her finger. She knows she should take the damn thing off, but part of her is afraid she’s going to lose it while another, louder part of her just really likes how it looks on her hand .  
  
Finn turns his upper body towards Rose. “Yeah, no. She’s talking straight nonsense. Did she have a lesson with Maz today? Spell gone bad?”  
  
“Nah, Maz would have told me to keep an eye on her if that were the case.”  
  
“It’s been awfully hot the past 24 hours, dehydration?”  
  
“She carries around that giant water bottle Finn, you’ve seen it.”  
  
“Well it’s gotta be something, because she _sounds_ crazy,” her recently acquired bestie says. With a shake of his head, he gets up off the couch and makes his way to the kitchen.  
  
Rey just rolls her eyes. “I’m sitting right here guys.”   
  
Rose ignores her and follows Finn into the kitchen. “I dunno Finn, demons are tricky. She could have been magicked without her knowing.”  
  
“Do you think it’s in that ring?”  
  
“There’s only way one to find out.”  
  
Her two best friends turn on her as one and very pointedly look at the diamond sitting on her left hand. Defensively Rey pulls her hands up to her chest, right covering left, to hide the ring from view.  
  
“I’m not taking it off just so you two can do something to it.”  
  
Rose smiles sweetly, too sweetly. “Just a quick spell. I’ll even do it, my magic has a gentler touch than yours and Finn’s.”  
  
“That’s what you _say_,” Rey replies as she runs a thumb over the stone.  
  
“Rose isn’t lying to you, fae magic can be powerful - but in a different way than our magic works. Which you would know if you’d been doing your homework from Maz _instead of summoning demons into your living room_,” Finn says in an   
  
“You summon a demon one time…” she mumbles as she slips the ring from her finger and hands it over to Rose.  
  
The faerie handles the piece of jewelry with great care and places it delicately on their kitchen counter, shimmering rose gold sparks of magic gently prodding the antique every few seconds as Rose gazes at it deep in thought. Rey can’t help but grin at the way Finn stares at Rose in complete awe; he’s truly captivated by the way his girlfriend uses her powers despite the fact that he has his own magic.   
  
“Feel anything babe?”  
  
Rose scowls at Finn. “Don’t call me babe.”  
  
“Feel anything Oh Great One?”  
  
Rose pauses, nods. “Acceptable.”  
  
Finn and Rey share a Look before clearing their throats simultaneously.  
  
“And no. As far as I can tell, Kylo gave Rey a very old, very not magical, run of the mill engagement ring.”  
  
“Hey!” Rey cries as she snatches the ring back from the counter and replaces it on her finger. “It’s not run of the mill. It’s stunning. Ben has good taste."

Rose raises her eyebrows so high they get lost in her bangs. “Ben?”  
  
“Yeah. That’s what he asked me to call him. It’s much better than Kylo.”  
  
“So you’re going to keep it?” Finn finally says with an air of defeat.  
  
“Well. Maybe… I don’t know.”   
  
Rose reaches for the kettle and runs in under the sink to fill it to the brim and sets it to boil. One thing Rey has learned these past few months since coming into this new and exciting world, is that her one-time laundromat attendant goes straight for tea when any sort of problem arrives . She can’t be sure if this is normal faerie behavior, or just one of Rose’s peculiar quirks, but in endearing regardless. Even Finn is in on it, grabbing three mugs and the tin of tea bags from the cabinet, working in tandem with his partner.  
  
“He’s a demon Rey. He’s like, one of the most well-known demons to ever demon.”  
  
“It’s not like he’s Bael, Rose.”  
  
“Well obviously. Bael was the King of Hell way back in the 17th century, but he got ousted years ago. Word is he’s taken up residence in New Jersey. Trust me, we’re better off without him running the show.”  
  
Rey tilts her head and gives her roommate a cursory glance. “How old are you, exactly? ”  
  
Rose just shrugs as she pulls the kettle off its base. A steaming hot mug is placed in front of her moments later, and Rey adds a giant dollop of honey to it before taking a sip.  
  
“He said something though during his erm… proposal. About not always being a demon.”  
  
Finn looks up from his tea with a jolt. “He said what?”  
  
“Just that. That he wasn’t always a demon and I could somehow help him with that.”  
  
“You’re really powerful Rey, but I don’t think you’re that powerful.”  
  
“I know Finn. I just, uh- it was… curious.”   
  
“What do you think Rose?”  
  
The faerie looks up from where she’s meticulously stirring her tea. “Hmm?”  
  
“Kylo Ren told Rey he wasn’t always a demon,” Finn supplies like it’s a piece of lunchroom gossip.  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Do you know anything about that? You seem pretty knowledgeable in demonology.”  
  
“I’m no expert here. But uh. It’s possible.”  
  
“You’ve never crossed paths with Kylo Ren? In all your mysterious number of years?” Rey asks teasingly.  
  
Rose frowns. “I can’t say I have. The first time I’d ever seen Kylo Ren was the night I found you outside the laundromat. Now, can we please talk about something else, since Finn and I clearly can’t make your demon marriage proposal decision for you?”  
  
Later that night when Rey lays under several layers of blankets, she falls asleep with more questions than answers and the stark realization that only one person – or demon – can possibly answer them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/_starlux/) and [tumblr](https://starlux-s.tumblr.com/)
> 
> drop a comment below and let me know what you think? I've been laying some breadcrumbs for backstory that I am curious if anyone is gathering!


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, when the doorbell rings, we open it, marvel over the kid’s costumes and give them some candy. Most of them will say trick or treat and remember their manners since their moms will be hovering.”
> 
> “You can’t be serious about this, Rey,” Ben complains from where he’s taken up residence on her and Rose’s couch.
> 
> “Halloween is serious business Benjamin. Why would I make this up?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! Last week was bonkers between a sick husband, my birthday, Halloween and a gala where I got to wear a fancy dress. Here's a longish, Halloween themed chapter to make up for it. Some soft, fluffy feels before we start digging a little deeper here. 
> 
> Shout out to my beta [weddersins](https://twitter.com/weddersins/)  
for turning this chapter around in like half an hour tonight. You're the best Sarah!

“So, when the doorbell rings, we open it, marvel over the kid’s costumes and give them some candy. Most of them will say _trick or treat_ and remember their manners since their moms will be hovering.”  
  
“You can’t be serious about this, Rey,” Ben complains from where he’s taken up residence on her and Rose’s couch.  
  
“Halloween is serious business Benjamin. Why would I make this up?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I’m a demon who has hardly spent more than a few days’ worth of time outside of Actual Hell in the past few decades? Or because you, Rose, and Finn have genuinely enjoyed making fun of me as often as possible since we started this thing.”  
  
“It’s called dating Ben,” Rey says with a roll of her eyes as she opens the giant bag of mixed candies.  
  
Ben laughs. “_I_ proposed marriage. _You_ still wear the ring. At the very least you’re my fiancée.”  
  
Rey scrunches her nose up. “And yet, I never agreed to that.”  
  
“You can always just give the ring back,” he says softly, suddenly close enough to whisper in her ear. When did that happen?  
  
Rey tucks her left hand close to her heart and gives her boyfriend – or whatever – a halfhearted glare over her shoulder.  
  
Ben backs away, both hands raised in a gesture of peace before he starts wandering around the living room that her roommate decorated for the holiday. Honestly, it doesn’t look all that much different than normal. Crystals and dried flowers still cover most surfaces, as do a variety of spell books, candles and unidentified magical objects, but the mortal Halloween decorations that are intermingled within have caught Ben’s attention.  
  
“Why spiders?” he asks harmlessly as he pulls on the string of one of the fake plastic spiders Finn had hung from their ceiling.  
  
Rey shrugs. “Dunno. People are afraid of them.”  
  
“Spiders? People are afraid of spiders? Their so… little.”  
  
“It’s fairly common up here. What are people afraid of in hell?”  
  
The demon looks up from across the room with a glint in his eye that Rey has started to learn is more Kylo and less Ben. “Fire. Brimstone. Eternal damnation. I’ve never really dealt with guests. That’s below my paygrade.”  
  
“Of course, demon extraordinaire Kylo Ren never does _actual_ demon things,” Rey snorts.  
  
“I do plenty of _actual demon things_,” he replies, air quotes included for emphasis.  
  
“Name one,” she challenges with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Kylo heaves a sigh. “I tracked you down. I scented your blooming magic and caused you to have your witch’s awakening in order to report back to Snoke.”  
  
Rey pauses for a moment before responding, because they both know that night is much more complicated than that, even if they have yet to fully figure it out. “That’s fair Kylo.”  
  
“Ben. When it’s you and me, you call me Ben,” he pleads quietly. His magical quality fills his eyes, the one that she simultaneously wants to swim and drown in, and she knows she’s a goner before he adds a whispered please.  
  
Rey offers him a soft smile and a small nod before she turns back to the one of the many Party City bags Rose scattered over the counter.  
  


* * *

  
“This is demeaning,” Ben whines from behind her bathroom door.  
  
“It’s funny!”  
  
“It’s plastic Rey- it’s going to melt if I wear it too long.”  
  
“Can you please just let me see it? I was so excited to buy it for you!”  
  
There is a loud sigh while the door is unlocked, and Rey has to throw a hand over her mouth to not burst out into peels of laughter as Ben crosses the threshold. The bright red horns are slightly askew in his unruly dark hair, and the matching cape is far too short, but the tail that pokes out from the back pulls the whole look together. The moment she saw this get up when she was purchasing her own Halloween costume, she knew she was forcing it on Ben one way or another.  
  
“I look ridiculous,” he grumbles as he stands in front of her full-length mirror and fiddles with the horns some more.  
  
Rey lets out a single snort from her spot on her bed where she is attempting to control her laughter. That snort turns into another, more obvious noise, and before she knows it, she has tears running down her face as the laughter shakes her shoulders. Ben is right, he does look ridiculous, but the demon costume is equal parts charming and comical and she would tell him all of this if she could just stop laughing.  
  
“Hilarious, Rey. Truly, your sense of humor amazes me,” Ben deadpans from beside her door.  
  
“I couldn’t help myself, I had to!” Rey wails from her bed as she wipes tears from her face with the back of her hand.  
  
“Well then chuckles, whatever are _you_ wearing tonight?”  
  


* * *

  
Rey’s putting the finishing touches onto her own costume when she hears the front door open. Her roommate’s voice fills the living room with greetings of hello, and is quickly followed by the scent of beef & broccoli and chicken lo mein. Rey adds another swipe from her mascara wand and grabs the garish red lipstick from her vanity as her stomach rumbles at the thought of Chinese food. Tossing her hat onto her head, she shuts her bedroom door.  
  
Roses face breaks into a huge grin when she spots Rey. “If only Maz could see you now,” her friend muses as Rey twirls in the living room in her witch’s costume.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be showing her pictures tomorrow at my lessons. No doubt she’ll approve.”  
  
Ben snorts from his spot on the couch but otherwise stays silent. Rey rolls her eyes as she turns towards her best friend and points at the oversized demon with her thumb.  
  
“This one thinks we’re pulling one over on him,” she laments as she helps Rose arrange their dinner on the coffee table.  
  
“Oh no Ben; Halloween is pretty much the best part of being mortal.”  
  
“Except we’re not mortal,” he counters as he piles orange chicken and white rice on his plate.  
  
“True. But it’s fun to pretend. I mean, these things aren’t nearly as pretty or impressive as our real ones, but the kids in the building love seeing what type of fairy I’m going to dress as each year,” Rose replies with a gesture towards the neon pink nylon wings she’s wearing.  
  
Before anyone has a chance to further the conversation, the doorbell rings. Rey practically jumps up from her spot on the floor to grab the candy bowl and hurries over to the door, opening it with the greeting of Happy Halloween on the tip of her tongue.  
  
It dies on her lips when she sees Finn standing in the entryway with a look of confusion on his face.  
  
“Uh. What are you wearing there Rey?” he asks as he gives her a once over, as if it’s not entirely obvious.  
  
“I’m a witch?”  
  
Finn just nods at her like she’s lost her mind. “Yeah I know. Me too. Why are you wearing that though?”  
  
“...it’s Halloween Finn. We’re passing out candy tonight.”  
  
Finn steps into the apartment fully and takes in the costumed fairy and demon who are still eating their Chinese food from the coffee table. He scratches the back of his head awkwardly as he barks out a laugh.  
  
“What?” Rey prods as she places the candy bowl back on its spot on the counter.  
  
“I uh, I hate to break it to you all. But today’s October 30th. Not the 31st. Trick or treating is tomorrow, you know, on Halloween.”  
  
Ben looks up from his plate. “What?”  
  
Rey scrambles for her phone, which honestly, she hasn’t looked at all that much today considering that Ben has been here, and she’s been rather occupied. She cringes when she realizes her warlock brother is 100% correct.  
  
“Oops.”  
  
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Ben moans as he realizes her mistake.  
  
“Sorry?” she offers apologetically.  
  
She catches that glint again, the one that makes her think of Kylo instead of Ben and prepares herself to take off before her boyfriend even has a chance to make his move.  
  
“I’ll show you sorry,” Ben rumbles as he launches himself at her, narrowly missing her legs as she shrieks with laughter and runs behind the couch.  
  
Finn and Rose exchange a look as the other two are in near hysterics, Rey always a step out of reach of Ben. The couple shares a shrug before joining Ben to chase down Rey, thankful that the apartment has a silencing charm on it so none of their nosy neighbors decide to call the police.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/_starlux/)   
[tumblr](https://starlux-s.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Let me know what you think! My weekend will be much less busy, so I hope to update before Monday! :)


	5. chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Young Solo, I’ve been waiting for you.” A sinister, disembodied voice fills every crevice of Ben’s head the moment he steps through the conjured portal. Chills run down Ben’s back and the hairs on his neck are sticking up, but he stubbornly closes his portal behind him. No need to encourage any well-meaning do-gooders from following him.
> 
> “Come and find me, child. I will give you what you seek.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was tough to write admittedly, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to do it. Shout out to the albums BADLANDS and hopeless fountain kingdom by Halsey for getting me through this chapter. There are flashbacks in this chapter, and they are noted by page breaks and italics, just a heads up. 
> 
> My forever gratitude to my phenomenal beta, weddersins, for kicking this chapters ass. Check her out! [twitter](https://twitter.com/weddersins/) [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weddersins/pseuds/Weddersins)
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback on this one. I've really enjoyed myself while writing it.

_“Young Solo, I’ve been waiting for you.”_ A sinister, disembodied voice fills every crevice of Ben’s head the moment he steps through the conjured portal. Chills run down Ben’s back and the hairs on his neck are sticking up, but he stubbornly closes his portal behind him. No need to encourage any well-meaning do-gooders from following him.   
  
_“Come and find me, child._ _I will give you what you seek.”___  
__  
Ben knows the voice isn’t lying, he feels it in his very soul. Everything he’s been dreaming of since he was a mere child at his mother’s feet is finally within reach. This voice, this scraping voice, has been in the darkest portions of his head for nearly as long as he can remember, rich and powerful and seductive, calling to him when he’s been his most lonely. He knows the timbre of this call even better than he knows his own voice, because it’s always been there.   
  
The route he walks is full of shadows and unfamiliar sounds. Ben knows they are meant to test his will power on his path going forward. Heat rises from the ground, and cracks appear under his feet, flames bursting out within moments of him stepping away. He had been warned, of course, about the dangers of coming here and seeking his fortune. There’s never been a shortage of people around him unafraid to toil, to make sure the young prince keeps his toes in line, to remind him that despite his title and bloodline he’s still only a half-ling and will never be as strong as the rulers that came before him.   
  


* * *

  
_ “Ben, you have to use your magic differently than the rest of us - you have to be smart about it,” his Uncle Luke had taken delight in reminding him nearly daily in their private lessons.  _ __   
__   
_ Tensions were running high, which was fairly normal for the two of them. Ben had nearly passed out from overexertion, all for a seemingly small bit of magic. Magic, that should have came as naturally to him as it did to everyone else at court.  _ __   
__   
_ “Because I’m weak,” he had barely bit back frustration, hands gripping his hair to the point of nearly ripping it out.  _ __   
__   
_ “Because you have limits. You  _ _ are _ _ half mortal-” _ __   
__   
_ “And whose fault is that? You introduced them, you encouraged their union despite everything he lacked, you’re the reason why I will never be as strong as I should be,” he accused, finger pointed squarely at his uncle. He dropped his hand stiffly to his side before fleeing the classroom. _ __   
  


* * *

  
The direction he travels gradually becomes more narrow the closer to the heart of cavern he gets. The heat is nearly unbearable at this point and sweat pours down Ben’s brow and makes his shirt cling to his back. The only source of light is a very faint glow that comes from ahead of him. It’s a curious thing - the light should be getting closer the further Ben travels, but never seems to move from its solitary point in the distance.    
  
For a moment, doubt creeps into his head.    
  
Maybe this isn’t the right choice, he thinks, maybe he should turn back around and beg forgiveness from his mother and uncle and continue on the path they have set before him. He could learn to deal with his limited powers, he could hone his craft and manipulate his magic in a way that would be beneficial to his throne. He could find a queen whose power is equal to - or even stronger than - his and she could bear him children that would be fit for his mothers’ throne.    
  
_ “Is that really what you want child? A half life? So much potential running through your veins, diluted though it may be from your father. The Skywalker bloodline holds incredible power. I can help you harness it. Let me help you tap into the truth of your blood… let me help you become what you were meant to be,”  _ he heard the whispering voice echoing around him as his pathway plunges into complete darkness.    
  


* * *

  
_ “Why did you run out of your lessons? Your mother is going to find out,” Ben barely registers the voice calling out to him as he rushes to his rooms. _ __   
__   
_ Ben is fuming mad right now, though he can’t really tell if it’s at himself or Uncle Luke, and the last thing he needs is a lecture from one of his mothers “trusted advisors”.  _ __   
__   
_ “I’d like to be left alone right now,” he seethes as he reaches for his door. A small hand grasps his shoulder, but he just shrugs it off as he turns the doorknob.  _ __   
__   
_ “Don’t do anything rash. I’m going to let you cool off, but then I’m coming back and we’re talking about this,” the advisor says quietly as Ben enters his rooms.  _ __   
__   
_ “Fine,” he grounds out as he slams his door and leans back against it, head in his hands as he sinks down to the floor.  _ __   
__   
__ “I’m waiting,” the dark voice says somewhere in his subconscious. “Come find me.”  
__   


* * *

  
The as quickly as Ben was pitched into the darkness, it receded and he finds himself in an open chamber with a narrow strip of land leading out to a small island where a grand throne sits. Fire licks its way up the edges of the island while smoke and shadow casts itself all around, making an already ominous situation that much more intimidating. A sinister figure looms on top of the throne, and Ben knows exactly who it is without even needing to ask, because there is no mistaking the Devil himself.    
  
“Ben Solo,” the King of Hell calls out from across the chamber. He encourages Ben by lifting a single hand to step out onto the walkway and to the throne.    
  
He crosses in silence, head bowed in submission, because that’s what this is and there is no use pretending its anything different. They both know what Ben is here to do, what he’s about to give up for all the things that have been promised to him.    
  
Ben drops to one knee when he reaches the foot of the throne, head still bent while he waits for the Devil to speak to him, to tell him what to do – just like he has been doing in his head for years.    
  
“I knew you would come someday, child. I saw it before you were even born. The child of Leia Organa and some useless mortal was destined to be my greatest protégé, because _ I _ could give him the things his mother would fail at; absolute magical power, glory, and a name worthy of his fame.”   
  
Ben doesn’t know how to reply, so he simply nods his head in agreement while keeping his eyes trained to the ground.    
  
“Look at me child. Look upon the face of the person who you will owe everything to. I need to see it in your eyes that you’re ready for the greatness I’m about to bestow on you.”   
  
Ben looks up at the figure on the throne and finds himself momentarily repulsed. Greying red flesh and a deep scar across one side of his face, The Devil hardly looks like any of the demons Ben has come across before. Long, curved horns crown the top of his misshapen head, and he wears a golden robe that seems entirely out of place considering that they are deep in the bowels of Hell.    
  
“I’m here to trade my soul,” Ben feels compelled to say when he makes eye contact with the creature across from him.    
  
“Of course. You came to me as Ben Solo, the Prince of the Faerie Realm, but you will rise as Kylo Ren, the Knight of Hell. Unlimited power will be yours… for a small price,” the Devil cackles from his throne.    
  
The pain comes first in excruciating waves from somewhere deep within his body, his very soul feels like it’s being split to the seems, and for a passing moment Ben knows that is exactly what is happening. White hot flames wrap themselves around his body and drag him screaming to the rock beneath his feet, where he withers in pain and pleads for it to stop.   
  
Just when Ben thinks he couldn’t take anymore, the world shifts black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/_starlux/)   
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> 
> If you like it, let me know what you think!


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